Malta National Aquarium To Hold 2 Free Film Screenings This Weekend
As part of their 10 year anniversary celebrations, the Malta National Aquarium is inviting the public to two free outdoor screenings. A big screen will be set up in Pjazza San Pawl just outside of the aquarium, where more festivities await those who visit a couple of hours early or stick around after the films. The selected films are nature documentaries, spotlighting crucial issues affecting the ocean and the detrimental human habits creating them.
Blue: The Film
‘Blue’ (2017) is a hard-hitting documentary highlighting the damage that decades of collective overfishing, industrialisation and littering has done to the ocean. The film is written and directed by Katrina Holden, whose passion for the subject at hand (derived from years of working in the scientific and broadcasting fields herself) is undeniable in her debut feature film. While ‘Blue’ is highly cinematic, it does not take the conventional route and romanticise the state of the underwater world; There isn’t a pretty montage of colourful sea creatures gliding through crystal clear waters. The film is, as Greenpeace Australia calls it, “Fearlessly truth-telling, yet passionately hopeful.”
Chasing Coral
‘Chasing Coral’ (2017) follows a group of divers, scientists, and photographers around the world as they embark on a thrilling oceanic journey. The team documents the alarming disappearance of coral reefs, which act as a buffer that protects our shorelines from ravenous storms, floods, and other potential threats to human life. Research conducted by the U.S National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association found that between 2014 and 2017, 75% of tropical corals suffered or died from climate change-induced heat stress and ocean acidification. The film premiered at the 2017 Sundance Film Festival and was later released globally as a Netflix Original Documentary.
No matter how deep we bury waste and perhaps even evidence underwater, it’ll rise to the surface inevitably. ‘Blue’ and ‘Chasing Coral’ offer some perspective for those who live in self-destructive denial about the state of the ocean, as well as vindication for those who have to hold back from enacting a citizen’s arrest whenever they see someone treat it like their trash can. Both films last about an hour and are kid-friendly (aside from trivial instances of strong language in ‘Chasing Coral’). It’ll make for a great family viewing while inspiring your children to do better.
You can watch ‘Blue’ at 7pm on Saturday 30 September, then ‘Chasing Coral’ on Sunday 1 October at the same time. Admission is free, but you can register your attendance online.
